It’s time to get ready for the weekend, and we’re all ready to have so much fun in the sun (perhaps nibbling on goodies) after some tough things to think about. Here’s a candid making the rounds on Reddit to get you into the mood:
There’s a new book that was just written by Christian Engström (MEP) and Rick Falkvinge that is worth the read. I’m partway through it myself, and it has a really strong history of copyright and the need for reforming it for the 21st century. It’s a clarion call that needs to be heeded in the wake of dangerous legislation that is taking place around the world that is making actions like file-sharing and downloading into criminal offenses. As more and more people are becoming worried that their basic rights are disappearing all to justify our current economic models, we’re all beginning to realize that change won’t happen until we start to think that nothing can remain static forever.
The Case For Copyright Reformcontains a lot of good information that can get us started towards reforming the one industrial tool that is rapidly becoming dangerous to our society. No, no one is saying that copyright is a bad thing, but it’s become much bigger than it was ever intended, and is no longer even benefiting the real innovators and creators. The fight is only getting started, but at least a few people are already looking at alternatives that we can all accept. Check out more about it on Falkvinge.net.
I haven’t had a chance to visit Brain Pickings in a while, but was ecstatic when I came across this absolutely gorgeous story telling. Amazingly enough, the story teller (voiced by the mesmerizing Castulo Guerra) is the embodiment of our future that we all seek. This particular story is about members of Gnarly Bay Productions, Inc. (Dan, Dana, and a supportive Nina), on a walkabout through Chile and Pantagonia.
It’s easy to imagine that in such grandiose landscapes as these, you would actually have a chance to run into your real future. Probably because you’re working on finding the real you that matters most to you. So, sit back and wrap yourself up in “A Story For Tomorrow” . It will definitely hit home. I know that it did for me because I felt my soul stir!
“Is it possible to be happy with this life?”
And then I will ask, as I do to everyone else, “Did you enjoy your story?” – Your Future
p.s. Check out the rest of their work, because Gnarly Bay Productions has some real heart.
Minds come in similar shapes but altogether different characteristics. As Carol S Dweck, PhD states, we can either have a fixed (talents are gifts) or growth (cultivate your abilities). Check out the chart below to compare the differences in how these two mindsets operate, and then listen to the professor explain what it all means and how you might be able to change to grow. – thanks this isn’t happiness for finding this chart
I saw this link in my email, but never in a million years thought that it would reach this kind of number. Freelancing is prevalent throughout the world, but it looks like deadbeat client’s are also just as prevalent. This whole idea came about from the Freelancer’s Union, which just goes to show you that some form of unionization is still necessary in our work world. With all of the talk about trust that businesses tout, it’s clear that trust is most definitely not equal across the business world. Kind of gives you a clearer picture of why so many people are looking at politicians and businesses with that look of distrust that’s been around since after the global market crash (well, actually a lot earlier than 2008).
So, if you have some unpaid bills, go check out The World’s Longest Invoice and add your name to the tally. As you can see, it’s at an alarming number, and the final numbers and list will be delivered to New York law makers on May 22nd, 2012, so that the law that will protect freelancers from non-payment and abuse can finally get put down into meaningful words.
I just saw another amazing piece of news via Twitter that has me so excited!!! Alphonse Mucha is known the world over for his art nouveau classics that graced calendars, posters, and every kind of advertising that sought these delicately colored beauties to popularize their products. You’ll probably recognize his Seasons quartet, his image of Sarah Bernhardt as Gismonda, or his portrayals of The Arts. Well, now you can take a stroll through his entire collection on the Mucha Foundation. Go check out the site and see why I’m excited (as is a lot of other people). Enjoy!
If there was ever a time that I’d want to go back to childhood, well, this might give me a push there. The Danish playground designers, Monstrum, has been creating some imaginative and amazing structures that have put Wonderland back into play time. Go check out their About Us page because it’s full of pretty powerful ideas that are extraordinary, brave, and non-linear:
Monstrum believes the playground should be a reflection of the world…There are boys who like pink…and why play on a climbing frame when you can play in a moon rocket, a submarine, a giant snail shell, a clown’s head, a Trojan horse, an egg, an ant, or a factory.
Thanks to Colossal for this really sweet and fun find, and see more images of the play ground on Monstrum.
Lee Eunyeol looks at the world in such a beautifully light way, and this image above shows just how beautiful that world can look. Placing lights in open fields makes the scene look as though fireflies are moving towards the tree in response to a gathering call. Or perhaps the stars have fallen from the skies onto the grassy knolls, creating a blue carpet made up of the starry night. Colossal caught this photographer’s beautiful creations and luckily shared with us all. See how beautiful our world looks!
I’ve been following Rick Falkvinge, the creator of the Pirate Party, much more frequently. I’ve been fascinated about them for quite a while now, though I haven’t gone as far as to join them simply because politics still turns my stomach. I get that we have to get involved, but this just seems like leaping into the fire. Watching Rick’s talk at JSConf US 2012, he had a lot of really great things to say, and I feel for him since it’s easy to tell that he’s still trying to get comfortable with this role that fell into his lap. But this one point he made, really resounds:
“People aren’t evil. Your worst enemies are not evil. And painting them in that light doesn’t define them. But it defines you.” – Rick Falkvinge
Never have truer words been spoken. We make personal, business, political, and safety decisions based on our frame of what evil looks like to us. Some actions are easily identifiable as evil, but they still don’t necessarily define the actor of that action. We’d need to walk in their footsteps from the moment of their birth until the moment that evil action was committed to conclusively say that they are evil. In most cases, lawyers, psychologists, or any detective uncovers facts, sometimes much later on, that puts the actor in a new light. Sure, the evil action is evil, but the sweeping judgments that we all make can be equally evil because we didn’t use care before flipping the NO! switch.
It’s beyond time to start being more proactive than reactive, even if it’s cumbersome, time consuming, and not always personally rewarding. Changing our thinking about evil can actually change the way we teach about good and evil, and that will be exponentially rewarding for us all. We just might be able to reduce the times we reach towards stereotypes, which just might reduce conflicts, which just might reduce the number of power grabbers that are shackling our destinies. Those seem like pretty good rewards to reach for, don’t you think?
Read more about Rick and the Pirate Party at Falkvinge.net.
And to close off this little talk about evil, watch this really smart and sweet message by Mama Hope: African Men. Hollywood Stereotypes:
See…not evil! It really just might be all in our minds. Time to change that mentality. No, time to get rid of that mentality. Only then can we really fight against what is really evil. Because there’s still a lot of that going on in this world, and a lot of it is happening in the most respectable (?) of places.
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“The past, in general, is over-represented in Washington. The future has no lobbyists.”
– Representative Jim Cooper (D-TN)
I saw (and heard) this phrase that went around during the Hacking Society gathering (brought to us by Union Square Ventures), and was struck by its absolute brilliance (as were a lot of other people). This is indeed the reason why society is currently in a struggle with governments around the world. Look around your governing halls and just find the many people who are willing to embrace the future, even if it means that it would negate the present status quo. If you find these representatives, then go look at their political records. The same goes for the business world. Go find those leaders who embrace the unknown that wraps itself around our future, even if it’s a costly venture for them. Find people who believe in a future full of innovation and still aren’t afraid of the unknowns.
When you do, support them. Become one of them if there aren’t enough of them. Just do something so that this quote becomes false, because the world will be full of people who are lobbyists for our collective prosperous future. And this is saying a lot coming from me, since I’m not particularly fond of lobbyists.
Our censorship fight with the US Congress is far from over, as they continue to attempt to break the Internet with legislations driven by crony capitalism in the US and abroad. Though SOPA (Stop Online Piracy Act) and PIPA (Protect IP Act) have been pulled back for now, more continue to follow them. Now, we have to contend with ACTA(more) and TPP(2), which are international attempts to censor and control the Internet for the sake of commerce. And if that's not enough, now there's CISPA (more).
Go to EFF.org to keep up with the legal news that impacts our world and its technology. The greed won't stop, so we have to stay vigilant as well. Especially now that lobbyists are admitting out loud that they expect to be rewarded for their "contributions": Read it on TorrentFreak
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